Charles Schwab Challenge 2026: Your Ultimate Guide to Round 1 Tee Times and Who's Playing

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Alright, so the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge is kicking off. May 28th. Colonial Country Club in Texas. You want to know who’s playing when? You’ve come to the right damn place. This isn’t rocket science, but it is golf. And golf has its own kind of chaos.We’re talking about the first round. Thursday. The official start of the show. And yeah, some familiar faces are out there. Rickie Fowler, for one. This guy’s got a few wins under his belt, but the last one feels like ages ago, right? Summer of 2023. He’s been knocking on the door, though. Three straight top 10s before the PGA Championship. Even a T2 at the Truist Championship. He’s up to 19th in the FedEx Cup, which means he’s in all the big ones. The question is, can he break through? Can he get back in the winner’s circle this week? He’s definitely one to watch.Fowler is set to tee off at 1:13 p.m. ET. He’s not going alone, of course. He’ll be out there with Ben Griffin and Tom Hoge. Should be an interesting group to follow.For those who like to watch the action unfold, the first round coverage on Golf Channel runs from 4-7 p.m. ET. If you want the really early stuff, the deep dive, PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ has you covered starting at 8 a.m. ET. They’ll have featured groups and holes, so you won’t miss much.Let’s get down to it. Here are the complete Round 1 tee times and groupings for the Charles Schwab Challenge. No messing around.

Tee No. 1: The Morning Wave

This is where the early birds get their golf in. Some serious talent heading out right from the get-go.

8:00 a.m. – Nick Hardy, Zac Blair, Michael Thorbjornsen

8:11 a.m. – Vince Whaley, Max McGreevy, Danny Walker

8:22 a.m. – Chad Ramey, Ben Martin, Sudarshan Yellamaraju

8:33 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Joe Highsmith, Davis Riley

8:44 a.m. – Steven Fisk, Cam Davis, Chris Kirk

8:55 a.m. – Adam Schenk, Garrick Higgo, Kevin Yu

9:06 a.m. – William Mouw, Brian Campbell, J.T. Poston

9:17 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Adam Svensson, Sam Ryder

9:28 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Pierceson Coody, Mac Meissner

9:39 a.m. – David Skinns, Jackson Suber, Keita Nakajima

9:50 a.m. – Alejandro Tosti, John Parry, Luke Clanton

You see that? Hardy, Blair, Thorbjornsen. Solid group to start the day. Then you’ve got Fisk and Kirk. Kirk’s always a contender. And Grillo, Svensson, Ryder – that’s a nice little battle brewing right there. You can bet these guys are looking to get off to a fast start, build some momentum before the afternoon heat.

Tee No. 1: The Afternoon Wave

This is where the big names start to roll out. And yes, your boy Rickie Fowler is in this group.

12:40 p.m. – Ryo Hisatsune, Chandler Phillips, Kevin Roy

12:51 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Ryan Palmer, Beau Hossler

1:02 p.m. – Doug Ghim, Rico Hoey, Ben Kohles

1:13 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Rickie Fowler, Tom Hoge

1:24 p.m. – J.J. Spaun, Gary Woodland, Ludvig Åberg

1:35 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker, Akshay Bhatia, Tony Finau

1:46 p.m. – Sahith Theegala, Taylor Moore, Michael Kim

1:57 p.m. – Keith Mitchell, Patrick Rodgers, Johnny Keefer

2:08 p.m. – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Zach Bauchou, Chandler Blanchet

2:19 p.m. – Haotong Li, Hayden Springer, Jimmy Stanger

2:30 p.m. – Dan Brown, A.J. Ewart, Albert Hansson (a)

There it is. Rickie Fowler at 1:13 p.m. ET with Griffin and Hoge. That’s a group to keep an eye on. You’ve also got Spaun, Woodland, and Åberg. Åberg is a young gun, always a threat. And Finau, Snedeker, Bhatia – that’s a powerhouse pairing right there. Finau can go low. Bhatia’s got game. Snedeker’s a veteran who knows how to get it done. Theegala, Moore, Kim – another solid trio. These afternoon tee times are often where the pressure really starts to build.

Tee No. 10: The Other Morning Crew

Don’t forget about the other side of the course. Plenty of talent teeing off from No. 10 in the morning.

8:00 a.m. – Nick Dunlap, Kevin Kisner, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

8:11 a.m. – Max Homa, Lanto Griffin, Rasmus Højgaard

8:22 a.m. – Patton Kizzire, Mackenzie Hughes, Thorbjørn Olesen

8:33 a.m. – Ricky Castillo, Nico Echavarria, Harry Hall

8:44 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman

8:55 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Robert MacIntyre, Alex Smalley

9:06 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im

9:17 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, David Lipsky, Hank Lebioda

9:28 a.m. – Brice Garnett, Dylan Wu, Jordan Smith

9:39 a.m. – Paul Peterson, Neal Shipley, John VanDerLaan

9:50 a.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Trace Crowe, Davis Chatfield

Dunlap and Kisner to start. That’s a good one. Max Homa is always fun to watch, and he’s paired with Griffin and Højgaard. Keegan Bradley and Brian Harman, with Ryan Gerard – that’s a solid group of experienced players. And then you’ve got Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, and Sungjae Im. That’s a big-name group right there. JT is always a threat, Henley’s consistent, and Im can absolutely light it up. You don’t want to miss that one.

Tee No. 10: The Afternoon Contenders

The action continues from the 10th tee as the day progresses.

12:40 p.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Austin Smotherman, Takumi Kanaya

12:51 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Charley Hoffman, Eric Cole

1:02 p.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Tom Kim, Seamus Power

1:13 p.m. – Karl Vilips, Stephan Jaeger, Webb Simpson

1:24 p.m. – Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover, Matt Kuchar

1:35 p.m. – Michael Brennan, Matt McCarty, Davis Thompson

1:46 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, Mark Hubbard, Max Greyserman

1:57 p.m. – Lee Hodges, Bud Cauley, Sam Stevens

2:08 p.m. – Zecheng Dou, Adrien Saddier, Pontus Nyholm

2:19 p.m. – Kris Ventura, Kensei Hirata, Christo Lamprecht

2:30 p.m. – Jeffrey Kang, Marcelo Rozo, Mason Howell (a)

This afternoon wave from the 10th tee has some serious firepower. Tom Kim, Erik van Rooyen, and Seamus Power – that’s a group that can make some noise. Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover, and Matt Kuchar. Three guys who have won big tournaments. They know how to handle the pressure. You’ve also got Lee Hodges, who has been playing some great golf. These are the pairings that can really shape the leaderboard by the end of the day.

Wager Wisely, Play Responsibly

Thinking about putting some money down on the Charles Schwab Challenge? Look, it’s part of the fun for some people. Just remember to do it smart. If you’re signing up for something like Fanatics Sportsbook, maybe use a code if you get a deal. Just don’t go crazy. It’s golf, not a guaranteed win. You can find more information on betting strategies and responsible gambling resources on sites like Golf Distillery, which covers the rules of the game and can indirectly help you understand player strategies.

What to Expect at Colonial

Colonial Country Club. It’s a classic. Known for being a bit of a beast, a real test of golf. It’s not just about bombing it off the tee. You need precision. You need to manage your game. The greens can be tricky, and the course demands respect. Expect to see guys who can hit it straight and those who can scramble when they get into trouble. It’s the kind of course where a solid, consistent game often wins out over flashy, risky play.So, there you have it. The full rundown for Thursday’s opening round at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Get your popcorn ready, settle in, and enjoy the show. Let’s see who comes out firing and who struggles to get out of the gate. It’s going to be a good one.